Platform Matters, But It Can’t Replace Organizing

We live in an era where platform is commodity. The bigger your platform, the greater your leverage. In the same way that money is currency, your public platform is as well. When publishers consider which authors to sign, many consider a person’s platform, including their personal and professional reach. When talk shows consider new hosts, they think about the person’s appeal and who their likely to draw in terms of audience.

And yet, platform is one piece of a larger equation. The work you do when no one is looking is just as important as your curated image. Making a sustained impact requires organizing and organizing is a long, often private process. Not everything can be performed on the public stage.

Private Execution

Doing good work takes time. It takes focus, hours of private execution, and diligence. For instance, when your launching a campaign or movement, building or scaling a business, or navigating tenuous terrain, your work must be private and it must take precedent.

But so many times, we look at a person’s platform or outward appearance and make judgement calls about their or their enterprise’s success. It’s like we believe persona is synonymous with strategy or business acumen. In other instances, we project onto others qualities that they have yet to earn – all because of how they look, how often their on panels or conference stages, or based on the number of media appearances they land.

Rooted in Fact or Perception?

It’s important we remember that appearances aren’t rooted in fact, but rather guided by perception. For instance, there is tremendous pressure among Gen Z influencers to give the appearance of wealth or ultra-wealth. In reporting on a nationwide study from Credit One, USA Today noted that “more than half of Gen Z admit to lying or exaggerating about their financial success online.” If the followers of these influencers believe the influencer’s persona, they may make decisions that aren’t rooted in reality. But there are other examples as well.

Scrutiny

Think of all the business people who looked like they had it together only for their enterprises to crumble under the weight of scrutiny. I will not list names or stories as I recognize that what may be a headline to me is a real-life ordeal for the persons or families involved. My intention, after all, is to encourage readers to think twice when it comes to judging a book by its proverbial cover.

We know online personas aren’t reliable indicators of progress, but they’re still enticing distractions. Here’s the key point: what we do between posting, between interviews, and before or after the glare of camera lights, matters. When people come to me seeking increased media coverage, one of the first things I look for is indicators that the person is moving work separate and apart from media. I have consistently told clients and prospective clients that the key to media coverage or notoriety is sustained action towards one’s goal. The focus has to be there.

I get that we live in an increasingly visual world. We want to look good and we enjoy looking at others who look good. But appearance is one facet of growth. And it’s not necessarily a reliable one either. In sum, your platform matters, but it can’t replace organizing and private, solitary work.

 

Jennifer R. Farmer is a crisis communications expert and founder Spotlight PR LLC. The firm helps clients build their platforms and protect their brands.